The (Green) Smoothie King

I have struggled to get Cap’n Jack Henry to eat veggies.  I struggle almost as much to get him to eat fruit.  It’s not a flavor issue.  It’s a texture issue with him.  He will eat potatoes (including sweet), some corn, peas, bananas, applesauce, and canned mandarin oranges.  That’s it.  And if he’s tired of any of those particular things, which happens often, he’ll refuse those as well.  He likes meat.  He likes dairy.  He likes sugar.

About a month ago, Big D’s parents gave us a Blendtec blender, and it has given me the ability to completely pull a fast one over on ole’ Jack Henry.  Both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law introduced us to the idea of green smoothies.  The thought is to add a combination of greens, other vegetables, and fruits that taste good and kids will consume.  To be honest, I thought it would never happen, but if you view the picture above again, you will notice the concoction he’s drinking is indeed green.

This blend included avocado, spinach, orange juice, banana and strawberry.  He loved it and drank every drop.

I know that recently Jerry Seinfield’s wife wrote a book about  how to add veggies to a bunch of home-cooked dishes like mac and cheese and such in order to trick your kids into eating more healthfully.  But isn’t this easier? And more honest?  Just go ahead…let him eat his sliced turkey and his piece of colby-jack cheese.  He can then wash it all down with a green smoothie!

I’ve been adding some protein powder in varying amounts to our smoothies as well, which makes them more of a meal-replacement for me.  I like Spirutein, but there are many different brands out there.  Just read the labels carefully, especially when adding to your kids’ smoothies.

Now, let’s talk blenders…

Like I said, we have a Blendtec. 

(No, we are not showing this demo to Dirty Harry…)

 And we love it…but they are pricey.  The VitaMix is good as well, but just as pricey.  If you want to invest in one of these top of the line blenders, I would suggest haunting ebay or Craig’s list or even the classifieds of your local paper.  Of the more affordable brands, I believe that Cuisinart has the best reputation.  But I’ll bet that the blender you have on your shelf, no matter the make or model, can make a decent smoothie.  Read the instruction manual carefully and then experiment with small amounts to see what it can handle.  Sometimes it makes a difference with what order you add your ingredients.

I challenge you, if you have the means, whip up a veggie/fruit smoothie today!  Let me know if you come up with some yummy combos.  I’m always trying something new.

Happy blending!